Jota Be con Renee

We prefer boutique hotels over large chains which is why I was instantly drawn to La Casita Mercedes. It’s exactly the type of place we look for on our travels.

Near and dear to every Filipino’s heart, adobo is the one dish that transcends top 10 lists. Don’t even think of writing a “Best Adobo in Manila” list because you’ll have everyone’s mother to contend with.

Batad is a remote village of around 1,500 people in Ifugao province. It’s said to be home to the best and most well-preserved rice terraces in the Cordillera region. These terraces are between 2,000-6,000 years old and have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.

If you’re familiar with our blog, then you already know how much we love eating local food when we travel. A lot of that traveleating involves street food, which in many countries, has a reputation for being less than sanitary. The Philippines is one of those countries.

Even if you aren’t familiar with Vietnamese food, chances are you’ve heard of phở. It’s a popular Vietnamese street food and is considered a national dish of Vietnam. For me, it’s the quintessential Vietnamese food and the first thing that comes to mind when I think of the cuisine.

There are many varieties of fresh spring rolls but my hands down favorite is the Vietnamese gỏi cuốn. Translucent with alternating hues of orange and green, not only are they some of the tastiest fresh spring rolls, they’re also among the prettiest.

We enjoy eating local food on our trips, but to actually learn how to make these dishes yourself is a different kind of experience. It puts you on both sides of the table and gives you a better understanding and appreciation for the cuisine.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ha Long Bay is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Vietnam. If you’ll be spending any time at all in Hanoi and the northern part of the country, then an overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay is a must.

From disaster to favorite travel memory, this trek through the rainforest of Langkawi didn’t go exactly as planned, but it turned out to be one of our favorite travel experiences thus far.

We became enamored with Hoi An the moment we arrived that morning. But at night, with its many colored lanterns all lit up, it transformed into something I wasn’t expecting. It looked magical, like something out of a fairy tale.